Chapter 5 - The Roar of a Father
Arthur Bennett crossed the marble terrace with predatory, earth-shaking momentum.
Every guest scrambled backward, clearing a wide, terrified path for the billionaire.
He did not look at the elite crowd; his entire universe narrowed to the shivering girl on the ground.
He dropped to one knee beside Clara, his large, calloused hands instantly cradling her wet, trembling face.
The expensive fabric of his tuxedo knees soaked through instantly against the wet flagstones, but he felt nothing.
"Clara... Clara, look at me," Arthur whispered, his voice trembling with an agonizing mix of terror and heartbreak.
Clara looked up, her hazel eyes brimming with fresh tears as she recognized the familiar, steady gray eyes of her father.
"Dad..." she gasped out between choking coughs, her voice cracking into a raw, pitiful whimper.
"You're safe, sweetheart. I'm here. I have you," Arthur promised, gently sweeping the wet chestnut hair from her freezing forehead.
Elena remained kneeling beside them, her hand never leaving Clara’s trembling shoulder to provide steady physical support.
Arthur looked up at the housemaid, his gray eyes softening for a microsecond with profound, unspoken gratitude.
"Thank you, Elena," Arthur said, the gravity of his words carrying the weight of an unpayable debt.
Then, Arthur’s gaze shifted upward toward the raised fountain rim.
The warmth and tenderness in his eyes vanished entirely, replaced by a volcanic, terrifying rage.
Victoria stood there, unrepentant, her long platinum hair gleaming under the garden spotlights.
Her cold blue eyes did not show remorse; they showed only frustrated, boiling disgust.
Arthur rose to his full, towering height of six-foot-two, his broad chest heaving with explosive breaths.
The light stubble along his jawline bristled as his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned stark white.
He stepped directly between his traumatized daughter and his sociopathic wife, shielding Clara from Victoria’s sight.
The atmosphere on the terrace became so dense it was impossible to draw breath.
Arthur stared into the eyes of the woman he had married, seeing only a monster clad in crimson silk.
His voice tore from his throat in an earth-shattering roar that echoed off the mansion's concrete walls.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
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The sheer volume of his fury made the surrounding guests physically flinch and cower.
Victoria did not retreat; instead, her eyes flashed with defiant, venomous arrogance as she took a sharp step forward.
